ABSTRACT
Having audio as an integrated part of a video surveillance system can be an invaluable addition to a system’s ability to, for example, detect and interpret events and emergency situations. To illustrate this, consider a video surveillance system without audio. A cry for help, the sound of breaking glass, a gunshot, or an explosion in the vicinity of a camera but outside the camera’s field of view would escape notice by a video surveillance system without audio. Even if a scene such as a parking lot were under visual surveillance, without audio support the system would not be able to pick up, for example, a vehicle alarm. The ability of audio to cover a 360° area enables a video surveillance system to extend its coverage beyond a camera’s field of view. It can instruct a PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) or dome camera (or alert the operator of one) to visually verify an audio alarm. An audiovisual surveillance system therefore increases the effectiveness of a security solution by enabling a remote user to receive more information.
